Sustaining crops during dry season: Solar-powered irrigation system
Pangasinan State University- Sta. Maria Campus is the university’s bowl of income generating projects contributing to approximately 1.7 million a year. This revenue comes from agricultural facilities and projects which were manned by dedicated and skillful PSU-SM employees.
Among the projects, crops yield the greatest dividend. Hence, the administration put a premium on sustaining them, especially during the dry season.
As an agricultural institution, irrigation in the production of crops is of dire importance. Water is a critical input for agricultural production and plays an important role in food security and demand. Based on studies, irrigated agriculture is, on average, at least twice as productive per unit of land as rainfed agriculture, thus allowing for more production intensification and crop diversification.
In response to this, PSU Sta. Maria, through the initiative effort of Dr. Elmer C. Vingua, Campus Executive Director of PSU- SM, developed a solar-powered irrigation system to water the banana plantation, lowland vegetable moringa, and rice and corn production was completed especially during the dry season. This action raised and sustained the land productivity in yielding and ensuring the stability of production.
